Arctic TreeHouse Hotel Restaurant

The restaurant and reception building of Arctic TreeHouse Hotel shares the architectural themes and moods of our accommodation units.

The building stands on a steep hillside and appears to merge with the surrounding nature. It turns its back on the slope and stretches out into the landscape with its fingers. The vegetation between the fingers grows close to the building, forcing it to engage in a dialogue with the surrounding Arctic environment.

The building is like a five-pointed snowflake, and the space within the building corresponds with the shape of the points. Arriving at the building, the visitor will first enter a covered outdoor space. This part of the building also houses toilets and the cloakroom. Next to the cloakroom is a staircase to the gallery, which houses offices and meeting rooms.

The high open plan lobby area in the middle of the building is accessed via a porch. A focal point of the lobby is an impressive steel fireplace. From the lobby, the entire building can be perceived at a glance. In front is the restaurant area, located on the front left is the lounge and to the left, a private meeting room. To the right is the reception desk and bar. Behind the reception desk are the kitchen and technical facilities of the building.

The kitchen and technical have a concrete structure. Otherwise, the building is made of wood. The ceilings and walls are made of timber that is upholstered in situ with wood paneling, on the inside and out. Using elements has enabled the building to be constructed under an extremely tight schedule. Within approximately 4.5 months of getting the elements on the site, the building work was finished and the restaurant’s grand opening celebrated.

All wall and ceiling surfaces of the public spaces are dark stained wood, which together with the oiled oak parquet flooring acts as a calming backdrop to the restaurant operations that can, from time to time, be rather hectic. The front of the reception desk is clad in the same shingles as the accommodation units, helping to create a unified feel. The use of wood gives the interior surfaces a homely feel, works well acoustically and ensures healthy indoor air within the buildings. The decor favored wooden furniture and in textiles and carpets, animal skins, leather and wool were used. Durability and health aspects have been the guiding factor throughout the construction process.

The high, floor-to-ceiling windows emit plenty of natural light, and the need for artificial light has therefore been minimized. The principle has been to put lighting features only where necessary, such as in passageways within the hotel, where integrated led strips on furniture guide the way. Dimming light fixtures enable lighting to be modified to suit a wide variety of lighting needs. The cone shaped lamps inside the restaurant are installed randomly to bring a touch of playfulness to the interiors.

There are terrace spaces at the end of the fingers of the restaurant area, with a lacy structure acting as an informal boundary between people and the surrounding nature, and to cast interesting shadows on the surrounding environment.

Design: Studio Puisto Architects
Photography: Marc Goodwin